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• The Collaboration Space allows all class members to read or write in the notebook section.
• Teachers and students can create new sections and pages within the Collaboration Space to suit their needs.
• Class project groups can use the Collaboration Space to create sections for working together on project materials.
• Educators also have the option to create private sections within the Collaboration Space.
• Multiple people can edit a document simultaneously in the Collaboration Space.
• Changes made by multiple users are merged automatically.
• The Collaboration Space section group is available offline for everyone.
• The Collaboration Space is useful for storing class project visions, brainstorming ideas, supporting materials and to-do lists.

Year 11 Biology Course Information

• The content for Year 11 Biology is sorted into two units, each taking approximately one semester to complete.
• There will be four assessments for each unit, and a passing grade ('S') is required for all of them to pass the unit.
• Students are required to complete weekly homework, quizzes, and work requirements, as well as SACs to pass the units.
• The VCAA study design must be read and the Outcomes and Key Knowledge for each Area of Study understood.

Key Information from VCE Biology Study Design

• The VCE Biology Study Design covers Units 1-4 for the period of January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2026.
• The implementation of VCE Biology study commenced in 2022.
• The VCAA Bulletin is the official source for changes to VCE regulations and accredited studies, and teachers are responsible for monitoring it.
• The VCAA publishes online Advice for teachers with teaching and learning activities and assessment task advice.
• VCE and VCAL Administrative Handbook provides essential assessment process information.
• The term 'school' includes both schools and other VCE providers.
• VCE schools can reproduce study design parts for teacher use, with the full VCAA Copyright Policy available on the VCAA website.

Biology Scope

• Biology explores life's diversity, organism function, and interactions.
• It studies life's processes from the molecular level to the whole organism, examining how life forms maintain and ensure their continuity.
• Contemporary research, models, and theories are studied to understand the development of biological knowledge.
• Students appreciate the interconnectedness of concepts within biology and across sciences.
• An important feature is that the study provides opportunities for students to engage in scientific investigation methodologies.
• Students work collaboratively and independently on investigations like controlled experiments, fieldwork, and literature reviews.
• Knowledge and application of safety and ethical guidelines for biological investigations are integral.
• Students develop critical assessment skills, respect evidence-based conclusions, and gain awareness of ethical contexts.
• Science is examined to show its connection to innovation in addressing contemporary biological challenges.

Rationale for Studying Biology

• VCE Biology enables students to investigate life processes at cellular, system, and species levels.
• Students develop an understanding of how change affects individuals, species, and biodiversity.
• Molecular and evolutionary concepts and key science skills are vital aspects of contemporary biology.
• Society applies these skills and concepts to solve problems and make advancements.
• Students enhance inquiry skills, including practical experimentation, research, critical thinking, and communication.
• Questions are posed, hypotheses formulated, investigations conducted, and data analyzed.
• Students assess data limitations, evaluate results, justify conclusions, and make recommendations.
• Students apply biological knowledge, scientific skills, and ethical understanding to analyze bioethical issues while communicating informed views.
• The discipline can lead to careers in botany, genetics, immunology, microbiology, and pharmacology.

Study Aims

VCE Biology enables students to:

• Develop knowledge of biological models, theories, concepts, and issues from the individual cell to species level.
• Develop knowledge of organisms, their environment, and the impact of biological change over time, including human impact. More broadly, students will:
• Develop curiosity, open-mindedness, creativity, flexibility, and integrity.
• Understand the cooperative, cumulative, iterative, and interdisciplinary nature of science.
• Develop science inquiry skills through investigation methodologies.
• Understand research, ethical, and safety guidelines.
• Analyze qualitative and quantitative data to provide evidence.
• Develop an informed perspective on contemporary science-based issues.
• Develop knowledge of key models, concepts, theories, and laws of science and how they apply to explain scientific processes.
• Communicate understanding using appropriate terminology, conventions, and formats.

VCE Biology Structure

• The study is formatted to include four units covering key biological concepts.
• Unit 1: How do organisms regulate their functions?
• Unit 2: How does inheritance impact on diversity?
• Unit 3: How do cells maintain life?
• Unit 4: How does life change and respond to challenges?

Course specifics

• Each unit includes specific content designed to enable students to achieve unit outcomes described in terms of key knowledge and science skills.
• Prerequisite: Complete Unit 3 before entering Unit 4. Units are equivalent to the final two years of secondary education.
• Duration: Each unit consists of at least 50 hours of scheduled classroom instruction.
• Minor changes will be in the VCAA Bulletin.
• VCAA will audit VCE Biology for quality assurance. Publication of audit procedures and the needs annually in the VCE and VCAL Administrative Handbook.
• Schools must ensure safety due to potential hazards. Teachers/students need to ensure that safe practices are abided by.
• Schools should meet health and safety requirements like Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004.

Ethical Considerations During Scientific Investigations

• Teachers are responsible for ensuring students demonstrate ethical conduct during scientific investigations using human subjects.
• The National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007 - Updated 2018) is important to adhere to.
• Australian Privacy Principles are important.
• APS provides a Code of Ethics.
• Animals used in teaching must be treated according to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986.

Employability skills & legislative complaince

• The study allows growth in employment skills. Examples in the Advice for teachers companion document.
• When collecting and using information, the provisions of privacy and copyright legislation must be met.

Assessment and Reporting in VCE Biology

• Completion of a unit is based on a teacher's decision regarding outcome achievement.
• Opportunities for students to demonstrate satisfactory achievement of outcomes need to be provided.
• Decision about unit completion is separate from the assessment of achievement levels.
• The VCAA reports student results as S (Satisfactory) or N (Not Satisfactory).
• Procedures for assessing achievement levels in Units 1 and 2. The levels won't be reported to the VCAA.
• VCAA specifies procedures for scored assessments in Units 3 and 4.
• Student achievement is determined by School-assessed Coursework (SAC) and external assessment.
• Student receives a grade from A+ to E or UG (ungraded). A study score requires achieving two graded assessments and receiving S.
• Details on graded assessment are in current VCE and VCAL Administrative Handbook. Contributions to the study score in VCE Biology:
  • Unit 3 School-assessed Coursework: 20%
  • Unit 4 School-assessed Coursework: 30%
  • End-of-year examination: 50%
• Work authenticity is required to be certain that all unacknowledged work is the students own.

Cross-Study Specifications: Science Skills

The key science skills include:

• Develop aims and questions, formulate hypotheses, and make predictions
• Plan and conduct investigations
• Comply with safety and ethical guidelines
• Generate, collate, and record data
• Analyse and evaluate data and investigation methods
• Construct evidence-based arguments and draw conclusions Analyze, evaluate, and communicate scientific ideas.
• Students undertake studies in groups, but all work for assessment must be individually completed.
• Approved student-designed investigation topics can't be assessment.

Understanding Scientific Investigation Methodologies

These vary depending on the investigation aim and questions that are being asked. Study planning and execution of scientific investigations includes looking at:

• Case Studies - involve real or hypothetical situations.
• Classification and Identification - classifying sets of data/ arranging objects/events into manageable sets.
• Controlled experiment.
• Correlational study - involves relationships between variables.
• Fieldwork involves observation/ interacting with a selection of variables, in hopes of being able determine correlations.
• Literature Review - secondary data gathered from reliable scientific findings.
• Modelling - construction of representation of data, in physical, or conceptual form.
• Product/process/system development- Design an artefact, system, or process to meet technological needs.
• Simulation: The modelling and variables in real systems show they are useful, because sometimes variables cannot be controlled.

Other Key Points in Science

Logbooks:

• The use of logbooks reflect standard scientific practice and are used for recording, authenticating, and assessing.
• They are needed to satifactorily complete required units and must be dated as well as documented.
• Teachers need to montitor logbooks. Although they can be electronic or hard copy, it's recommendated they are in hardcopy form as is common practice in scientific practice.

Unit 4 Scientific Poster

• A scientific poster is required in Unit 4, to test science communication skills, using design findings on a topic with significance that both technical and non- technicals can understand. This poster can exceed up to 600 words in electornic or hard copy form.
• Students use a followoing scientific poster format to report on their investigations:
  • Title/Student Name
  • Introduction/Methodology/Methods
  • Results/ References and acknowledgements
  • Discussion/ Statement of findings and questions
  • Present the format of the poster including the aspects:
• Brief reasons to take on undertkaing and investigate, and give an aim or hypothesis.
• A brief outline of methodlogy used in the investigation.
• Summary of data/ generation methods and data + evaluations
• Discussion of the main data/ information received after analysis
• Cross-referencing of concepts that are relevant to science, conclusions that can provide further support/ refute the hypothesis
• Final conclusions and identification so the analysis provides context.
• Logbooks consist of research plans and management, collected data, risk assements.

Critical and Creative Thinking in VCE Sciences

• Critical and innovative thinking are implanted across The Vce sciences through development, investigations , prediction, evaluation etc.
• Students engage in investigation with the goal of identifying specific methods and considerations such sampling and size.
• Problem-solving requires reconstruction, risk assessment, and perseverance.
• Students also look at how critical and creative thinking were already applied to development and knowledge and how they relate to biological problems.

Ethical and Individual Understanding

• Is applied across Units 1-4 in science. Ethical understanding enables a range of ideas.
• Students must consider implications to their own findings/ investigations of living in a responsible decision-making setting.
• VCE Biology can demonstrate applying appropriate ethical context. Units 1-4 can provide opportunity to help time/decicion making for others.
• Students are required to participate, speak and share ideas as a contribution to scientific endeavours.
• Students identify goals, set strategies and value, and use aid as feedback in both collaborative and individual settings.

Understanding Diversity

• ATSI- Understand the diverse historys and social structure of how ATS peoples understand scientific thinking/ observe and test it using traditional methods.
• Teachers promote ATSI acknowledge and provide design/ learning programs for students considering Koorie education ( state, national and regional) for including ATSI.

Use of Terms

• VCE Biology explains how to use and interpret terms with specific consideration.
• ATS peoples are the first people of Australia represented by language groups (territory/ country).
• Those of strait islander culture annexed in Quensland in 1879 are also indigenous people and have 5 culture groups.
• It is important to note those of Aboriginal descent who have lived with community and identification.
• Country - traditional land by language group can encompass feelings of deep connection and attachment associated with it.
• Major aims- explains that are supported by natural phenoma/ event.
• Students also have the option of how to rely on data genration can "conclude" for themselves and ask. 'Does the differences indicate a changing scale''
• To study this the accuracy of a measurement needs to relate to how close the quantity is being measured. It's important to make this clear.

Additional Points

• Validity- Validates what has been studied. Has experimented and what claims can investigated.

Ethical and Safety approaches to Biology

• Ethical issues support- support students and identify bioethical issues and to explore issues with context. They depend and give advice.
• Consequences- is primarily used for maximising postive outcomes; duty has people and the means to reach these ethical stages.

Ethical Concepts

• Support students in exploring bioethical issues. Provides to what extent the outcome is ethical.
• integrity- search for knowledge and honest understanding: permission and scrutiny is ensured, along with public knowledge
• justice- ensuring there is fair consideration. That no action causes burden and fair disribution.
• non- maleficence: avoids harming- resulting from posititions should not disproportionately damage actions.
• errors- dont be confused with personal measures and error.
• Errors are the differences from what is true value and being measured. Consists of systematic ways of data.

Unit 1: How Do Organisms Regulate Their Functions

Overview

• This unit focuses on the cell as the structural and functional unit of life, including sustenance requirements.
• Topics include cell growth, replacement, death, stem cells, specialization, and homeostasis.
• A student-designed scientific investigation related to cell function or regulation is undertaken.

Area of Study 1: Cell Function

• This covers the structure and function of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells (including their cell cycle).
• Plasma membrane contribution to survival is a very important one. (controlling movement) as well as the properties of stem cells (specializating renewal)

Outcome 1 Key Elements

• Students should:
  • Be able to explain and compare cellular structure and function.
  • Analyse cell related death, cycle growth.

Key Knowledge

• cells as the basic structural element
• surface area to volume as an important factor in the organelles
• plant functions and specialization
• transport of water, hydrophilic, and hydrophobic substance
• binary fission in prokaryotic cells
• cell subphases
• apoptosis
• cell cycle malfunctions(cancer)
• pluripotency and totipotency - stem cells

Area Of Study 2; How do Plant and Animal systems function?

• There are systems for explore cell specialisation of vascular
• The system functions with digest, excretey, and more in homeostatic ways to maintain a narrow level.

OUtcome 2

• Students will explain and campare how cells and animals are regulated. Students will study
• function systems and cell tissues
• regulation and transport - regulating temperature, blood glucose levels and malfunctions as a response to high glucose There will be investigation Design and knowledge for the student

Scientific Skills

• Students must know biological science concepts.
• They can select from controlled experiements; correlational study and model etc.
• They maintain the scientific/ethical guideliens

Evidence And Communication Skills

• Students will analyse to look for limits of data and show the key findings and implications of scientitifc investigations.
• Students may study report writting including terminology, definitions and apprivations.
• All students in the unit must show three outcomes , with a suitable task. For instance case study analysis and reflective logbooks can be used, and there should also be analysis on things such is posters and models.
• A student adapted scientifc investigation and visual representation task is also used for the format. All must be done within a framework.

What is Unit 2 About?

The process with reproduction and biology to find diversity and how this affects the species. They look to find chromosome expalin meoisis as well, to help with environmental factors along the chain/ process.

Studying genetics and analysis

Students will undertake genetic inheritance and ethics to be shown to help for suvival. Key knolwedge+ skillls and key source of information can provide research/ science skills from the unit.

ATUDY 1

To explain :

• student will make predictions and interpret outcomes for genetic crosses and genes.
• students can describe in reproduction with sexual elements.

To achieve :

• student can use key knowlegde+ science keys and skills for pages 7-9.

From chromosomes to genomes

• explains distiction between genes, and other elements of genomes
• understanding that homologous is when 2 chromososmes carry the same gene loci.
• explain the size of numbe rings within cells and karyotypes abnormalilties
• hapliod production and chromatids

Genotypes/ Phenotypes

• the understanding to use writing in genotypes and phynotype expessions for incomplete dominance
• show genes affects other things

patterns

• understand the chart pattern and genetic outcomes for linkages

AREA 2 How do genetics and adaptations support diversity.

• How to adapt advantgs and technologies/ understand their biologicial factors
• understand the factors about it.

ATTAINING outcome 2

• evaluate and analyse all the factors listed and the science is based on skills of the units! pages 7-p

Key terms and knowledge for it

• reproducitfion based stragey, adaption/diversity

AREA3 how do humans use scentific to expore and communicate for bioethical issues

• explain genomic/eugenetic research. how can humans perform what needs to be done and what is being limited/ what research quesitons and key knowlegde is being had

At the end of this, what is the desired outcome?

• • explain and use key knowledge, genetic and sciencfe and commicate. What the best thing is and how to do it.

What do you need access to?

• primarir and secondary data/models

-What is it?

• The nature, bioethical consideration.

VCE Biology - Unit 3

Unit Outline

• In this unit, the workings of the cell are investigated, including the relationship between nucleic acids and proteins.
• Nucleic acids are explored as information molecules, while proteins are studied as diverse functional molecules.
• The role of cellular respiration and photosynthesis are analysed in biochemical pathways.
• Students will investigate a selected ethical/bio issue with a case study analysis.
• A student-designed scientific investigation will be undertaken.

Area of Study 1: Molecular Life

• Expression of the information encoded in a sequence of DNA to form a protein is studied.
• Molecular techniques are shown for application. As well, gene tech is also comparitively studied against agriculutre/ ethical implications

Outcome 1

• Students should be able to: relate nucleic acids and proteins as well as apply techniques that are used with the manpiulation of DNA!!
• They can use knowle dge from past areas of study to help them attain better knowledge and attain previous science skills on specific pages 7-9. This leads to studying these as main skills

Key Factors

• Know that nucleic acids act as building blocks to the protein synthesis to the structure to code genetic material properly. There is also the regulatory elements (operon) Proteins are as monomors in levels and cellular processes, and can help in the export of proteins from a cell via secretory pathway DNA has its own manipulation technqiues: using polymerases and using Crispr-9 like elements. There is amplication of this polymerase DNA in recombinant
• GMOS are to improve and increase for resistance also in agriculture.
• There is always a need to focus on photosystem for the students, where factors that can impact such an enzyme have a function with respiration. There are also cells that respire at the beginning.
• With it are key things such as fermentation in animals*
• For it is important/ critical about CRISPER with technqiues

AREA- assessment.

• This a the award is based on the demonsatred outcomes. To show skills the students use a variety of leanring activities and assemsnt tasks.
• This all comes to desgn activities and is part of class and the time table. There is 2 levels: scholl, the amount for coursework. These are regular and do apply, with options for schools. In it there is. Advice.
• the tasks must be comapable when setting. For unit tasks there select. From for outcomes 1-2 there is list, case study, bio informatics, report, poster etc. and you can not select more than it.

AREA Unit 4: The study of what ife changes to respond to challenges

• The unit is set to provide continual help to respond and what life must face. Student study human defence, system, and immunity alongside how knowledge assists with problems facing ethical diseases
• how can new evolutinary techniques assist what is known? and what challenges comes with it? data, analyse bio ethical -What do we do! This includes things such as cancer and allergies, and therapy development to combat for prevention as a factor. The study then asks the question for what new knowledge to use to consider these aspects.

The VCE then implements

• "ethical concepts"- they set out the key values and ethical concepts. Also with a focus on student skill.
• A student may have to get creative with their own key knowldge/ study

What is to be done

Student needs to understand + adapt what helps life changes and responds in posters (with results etc/ key findigs/ conclusion)

Key note - areas for study

How do people deal with pathogens

• Defence to immune, immunity what plays a part.
• They explain assistant managment/ technological advances as well

The student then may analyse the immune

• The relate key is to improve scinece

• there comes a study. To which the key nowledge plays parts in the study

• Students are also given: knowdge, responses, ability etc

• In the modern/ current world (the "study design")- there are also biological chaallenges. the prevention, medical field

At the end of it all

• Students show be able to identify and compare key ways, and work out chaallenges in order to give responses and help with the area/ treatment of disease.

So what "Key knowdelge is"

• The response
• The "immune respone"- inflammatry cells and steps to attack
• to help and support antigen

Note key areas for this

• system transports
• t and be limits. The action to use and the passive ones.
• Themergence, sociality, controllig spread
• How to use vaccine support
• the process of improvement also happens

Another "area of key knowledge"

• How are species related? and what are their challenges?
• In are of what to study/ the students relate their science to "material overtime and their evoltion
• they use the information to determine the relatedness

Outcome - to see what genetic changes does a species have overtime

• They have the science and data analysis to help make their data/ decisons

Main parts- what we need in order

• Causes that chagnve, and consequences -Manipulation is possisble- there is data and analysis to show it to improve how the study does, to better.